Workplace team-building activities tend to conjure up feelings of embarrassment or confusion at the sometimes absurd behavior they encourage. However, when done right, fun team-building activities can contribute to a stronger workplace and encourage bonding and friendship between coworkers. The trick is to make these activities fun and interesting rather than embarrassing. So, how can you encourage quality team-building exercises in your workplace?
Team-building exercises can either be the highlight of an employees’ week or the worst thing ever. Try these actually fun activities to encourage bonding between coworkers. #PlatinumCopiers Share on X
Team-Building Games
Think about your employees and what they’re comfortable doing. Most professionals will be reluctant to participate in games that require crawling on the floor, for instance, and pitting them in even playful fights against each other can bring resentments to the surface. In general, the best kinds of team-building activities encourage cooperation or friendly competition in comfortable environments. While there’s plenty of games you can try, these ideas will help you get started:
- Puzzle piece hunt
- 2 truths and 1 lie
- Describe your intent
- Uses for random objects
1) Puzzle Piece Hunt
Divide your employee team into two or more small groups and give each group a puzzle. The first group to complete their puzzle wins, but there’s a twist! You’ve secretly switched out several pieces of each puzzle, so team members now have to find their own pieces buried in their opponents’ boxes. Each team now has to barter or otherwise convince their opponents to give them their own puzzle pieces. This game adds a fun challenge on top of a standard racing game!
2) 2 Truths and 1 Lie
With your entire workplace team assembled, have each of them introduce themselves with two random facts and one lie. The lie should be plausible enough that it just might be true. After each person gives their facts, the rest of your team must guess what the lie is. This exercise forces your employees to think hard about their coworkers and results in everyone learning some trivia about each other. This simple game never loses its charm and never fails to break the ice!
Pro Tip: Ultimately, the point of a discussion-based team-building exercise is to get your employees to know each other and you. Encourage them to have fun with their activities and conversations together during the exercise.
3) Describe Your Intent
This particular exercise is less of a game and more of a meeting preparation method, but still serves as an interesting way to encourage coworkers to mingle. Say you’ve scheduled a team meeting at 1 pm. Beginning at noon, employees will tell each other what they hope to contribute to the meeting and any questions they plan to ask. This gives everyone a vision of how the meeting should go and encourages people to speak up for each other to make sure everyone’s questions get answered. If you’re looking to streamline your work meetings, this is an excellent strategy!
4) Uses for Random Objects
Have your team members split into teams and give each team two or three random objects laying around the office. Then, have each team explain how their objects are useful in a certain scenario that you’ve given them. Whether they’re holding a pencil or a piece of trash, your team members will have to explain how this random item will help them win a fight or survive the apocalypse. It goes without saying that this game results in some entertaining stories. But more importantly, it forces your team members to think creatively together and hone their problem-solving skills.
Encourage Team Bonding!
Fun team-building activities should be as fun and engaging as they are bonding for employees. Pay attention to what your employees are comfortable doing with their coworkers and how you can adjust different games to their comfort level. If you handle activity day well, you’ll not only foster a strong team atmosphere in the office, but you’ll also create great memories for everyone!
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